Top goalkicker race heats up

AS THE the pointy end of the local football season approaches, the goalkicking race is heating up in Geelong’s three leagues.

In the GFL, St Mary’s star forward Patrick Dowling holds a strong lead and sits 10 goals clear on top with 41.

Dowling, who returned to the Saints this year after a season in the BFL with the Geelong Amateurs, has had three games with 10 goals or more and certainly looks like the man to beat.

South Barwon’s Fraser Fort and St Albans’ new recruit Tom Higgins sit equal second, with 31 goals each. Leopold’s Connor Giddings (30 goals) and St Joseph’s Oscar Morrison (28) round out the top five for the GFL.

The BFL top goalkicker race is a lot tighter, with Geelong Amateur’s Mitch Day on 52 goals, just two ahead of Anglesea’s Ayden Gras (50 goals).

Day returned to the Ammos in 2025 after a short stint at Lara and has been a key reason why his side look like premiership favourites, kicking five goals or more in six games this season.

Queenscliff recruit Izaac Grant sits third with 40 goals, while Newcomb’s Jack Duke and Geelong Amateur’s new co-coach Sam Lloyd sit fourth and fifth, with 37 and 32 goals respectively.

As for the GDFL, the race seems to have narrowed down to two, with Anakie’s Andrew Boseley (49 goals) and East Geelong’s Zac Smith (44) sitting atop
the leaderboard.

Boseley has had five matches with more than five goals, as well as three four-goal hauls in a consistent year of goalkicking.

Meanwhile, an 11-goal game in Round 8 and three other five-goal efforts for Smith has given him every chance to claim the top goalkicker spot from Boseley with just four rounds to go.

Werribee Centrals’ Carmelo Saliba (30 goals), North Geelong’s John Fazio (29) and Bell Post Hill’s Nick Costello (27) round out the top five for the GDFL.